Wafer-coating machine.



PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

A. W. COPLAND.

WAPER COATING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1904.

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JN VL'JYTOR 'ALEXANDER 'W' OOPLAND www aM/M ATT'Y.

, PATENTE) MAYQ, 1905. A. W. GOPLAND. WAFER COMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1904.

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INVENTUR ALEXANDER 'W' UOPLAJYB' WIT/$755555 A wk? No. 789,655. PATBNTEBMAY 9, 1905.

A.W.G0PLAND.

WAFER GOATING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. ze, 1904.

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No. 789,655. l 'P.ax'rfnv'mn MAY 9, 1905.-

` A.. W. GOPLAND.

WAFER OATING MACHINE.

APPLxoATIoN HLD SEPT. 2s, 1904.

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No. 789,655. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

A. W. GOPLAND. WAFBR GOATING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1904.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

I/V/TNL'SSES JN VEN TOR ALEXANDEE-W C0PLAND- Unire. Spares vArenaPatented May 9, 1905.

written.

WAFER-COATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,655, dated May 9,1905.

Application filed September 26, 1904. Serial No. 225,966.

To all whom. it puny concern:

'Be it known that-I, ALEXANDER W. Gor- LAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVVafer-Coating Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to machines for coating baked goods, and isintended particularly in the particular construction herein shown forcoating sheets of baked batter or dough which are afterward intended tobe cut up into smaller sizes to make sandwich-wafers.

The invention consists particularly in the construction of a machine foriiattening the wafer-sheet and holding it for applying the filling toone sheet and subsequently for pressing a superimposed or upper sheetupon the lining to complete the article preparatory to being cut up.

The invention further consists in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts, as more fully hereinafter described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is avertical central section through myimproved machine, showing the drive mechanism in elevation and partly insection. Fig. 2 is a topplan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an elevationlooking from the right hand of Fig. 2, partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line a; m

of Figs. land 3. Fig'. 5 is a vertical section through a modified formof machine.

A is the base of the machine, which has secured to it the hollowstandard B, which has a suitable stationary top C.

D is a rotary table having depending from its middle portion the tubularsleeve D/,which suri'ounds the standard B and at its lower end isprovided with a gear-wheel E. At four equidistant points on the rotarytable D are vsecured the sheet-plates F of suitable size to receive andsupport the wafer-sheets which are to be coated and made into sandwichform. This rotary table, with the sheet-plates thereon, is rotated andraised and lowered by the following mechanism: G is a drive shaft drivenfrom any suitable power and having thereon the worm meshing with thewormwheel G on the transverse shaft G2. On the shaft G2 is a cam H, onwhich bears a roller I-I, supported in the ends of the rock-arms H2,which are loosely sleeved on the transverse shaft I. To the rock-arms H2are secured the two arms I, which extend around the side of the standardB and are provided at their ends with rollers ct, bearing on the underside of the annular gear E. The cam is so shaped that in each revolutionthereof the rock-arms H2 and I will be rocked and the rotary table willbe raised and lowered. On the end of the shaft G2 is a crank J, having arollerwrist engaging in a slot of the lever JQ that lever beingjournaled at c on a stub-shaft on the base of the machine. From thelevel` J is a connecting-rod K1 which connects to the rock-arm K on theshaft K2 on the opposite side of the machine. This rock-arm carries apawl d, adapted to engage a notched wheel L on the shaft K2 and in theforward movement thereof .rotate the same. On the shaft K2 is a bevelgear-wheel d', meshing' with a bevel-pinion e on the vertical shaft L.Se-

cured tothe upper part of the pinion e is a A gear-wheel M, which mesheswith the gearwheel E and which is of suflicient length to permit of anup-and-down movement of the gear-wheel E in relation to the gear-wheel Mwithout disengagement therefrom.

Throughthe connection described at each rotation of the shaft G2 therock-arm K' will be moved forward, and through the gearing described thetable and the plates thereon will be rotated a quarter-revolution. It isobvious from the description thus far given that the plates will stop atfour equidistant points in cach rotation, and for convenience ofreference I will number these points, as shown 1n Fig. 2, as 1, 2, 3,and 4. At the hrst stopping-point 1 the operator lays a wafer-sheet uponthe plate which is in front of it, and it is desirable that, the sheetshould be clamped tightly upon the plate, and this is effected by thefollowing mechanism: Above the station l is a clamping-plate O, securedt'o the arm O', which is in turn-secured to the upper end iss of theshaft O2, extending centrally above the table C and down into the hollowstandard B, where it is supported in suitable guides. Gonnected totheshaft O2 is the rod I), which in turn is connected to the outer end ofthe 1ever F, journaled at i in the base of the machine and having aroller 7l on its end engaging with a cam Q on the shaft G2.

At the `proper point of time the reduced portion of the cam Q will comeopposite the 'roller t' and allow the plate Oto lower by gravity uponthe wafer-sheet, which is upon the sheet-plate at the position 1. Thesesheets are more or less wavy or uneven, and this pressing willtemporarily flatten them out. In order to hold them flat, I provideclamping means for the edges. IThese clamping means are of the followingconstruction: /c represents four horizontal shafts arranged under eachsheet-plate contiguous to the edges thereof and geared together at thecorners by bevel-gears, as shown at Z. The inner shaft of each set isprovided with a rock-arm Z', which is connected by a link m with abellcrank lever m', journaled on the table D. The lower end of thebell-crank rests against a pin n. rThis projects inside the sleeve D. Atthe point 1, as shown in Fig. 1, as the table is raised this pin willimpinge upon and be pressed out by an inclined lug 0 on the standard B,which will rock one of the shafts 7c, and through the gear connectionthe other shafts t' will alike be rocked and withdraw the clamping-armsp, each of which is provided with a clamping-flange p, overlapping thetop of the sheet-plate, as shown in Fig. 1. As the table lowers justbefore its rotary movement, the pin n will drop off of the lug o, andthe torsion-springs s on one of the shafts c will cause the rock-arms pto as-` sume their vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, and cause theclamping-flanges p to clamp the edges of the sheet for the succeedingoperation. During the time the table is lowering and until theseclamping-flanges are in their clamping position the plate O lowers withthe table, so as to keep the sheet fiat until the clamping is effected.

Before the sheet-plate leaves the position 1 and moves to the position 2it will be lowered, the cam H operating the rock-arms H2 and I', causingthe roller a to lower, and the weight of the table will lower it. Whenlowered, it is rotated a quarter-turn by the gears M and E. When itreaches the position 2, it will be raised to its uppermost position,(shown in Fig. 1,) and at this position is a frame R, which is open andsurrounds the sheet-plate and which has on its inner edges a thin sten-Y cil-plate R, which is directly above the edges of the sheet clampedupon the sheet-plate. To hold the sheet perfectly flat and take out anybends or curves there may be in it, I preferably stretch across thisstencil-frame a series of wires R2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

S is a hopper containing the compound with which it is desired to coatthe sheet. This hopper normally rests with its discharge-opening in thebottom upon the part S of the stationary top C. This hopper isreciprocated over the sheet-plate and over the stencilframe by thefollowing mechanism: T represents connecting-rods connected to oppositeends of the hopper and attached to levers T/, the latter being securedto the shaft I, which is rocked by a rock-arm U, secured to the endthereof and having a roller-wrist engaging a groove in the cam U on theend of the shaft G2. The hopper being reciprocated back and forth overthe sheet clamped on the sheetplate will upset and lower the materialthereon, the thickness being determined by the thickness of thestencil-frame. The table will then again be lowered and rotated aquarterturn by the mechanism described and the sheet will be brought tothe position 3. At this position the coated sheet will have placed uponit by the operator another sheet of like size, there being time for theoperator to thus superimpose the sheet while the machine is atrest atits stopping-points. The table is again lowered and the clamped sheet ismoved into the position 4. Above this position is a presserplate V, andas the table with the sandwichsheet rises the two sheets will be pressedtighter together and flattened between the sheet-plate and thepresser-plate V. This presser-plate V is adjustably supported on the armV of the top C by means of the bolts q and nuts q. The table againlowers and is moved a quarter-turn to the original position, where thesandwich-sheet is removed, a new one inserted, and the operationrepeated.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a machine similar to that shown in the otherfigures, except that the wafer-sheet is fiattened and is held in itsfiat condition by pneumatic means instead of by mechanical means. Inthis viewI use the same standard B, except that I put a partition T2across the upper part and the same rotary table D, except that I formconduits T2 from the vertical portion thereof beneath the sheet-plates.The sheet-plates in this case I show as simply perforated plates, asillustrated at S2., In the standard B, I make apertures S, which connectthe interior of the standard with the interior of the sleeve D', andthen conn'ect the interior of the standard with any suitableair-exhausting means, so that a vacuum will be produced beneath thesheets on the sheet-plate, and they will be held tightly thereon duringthe various operations by the atmospheric pressure on top so long as thevacuum is beneath. This enables me to dispense with the presser-plate Oand the means for operating it and also the clamp- IOO IIO

ing plates 29 and the mechanism for operating' them. Either themechanical flattening and clamping or the pneumatic flattening andclamping' may be employed, and I believe both are Within the spirit ofmy invention.

The details of the invention may be modilied obviously in a number ofother Ways, and I do not desire to be limited to the specific detailsherein shown except Where such details are made the subiect-matter ofparticular claims.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a machine for coatingWafer-sheets, a sheet-plate having means for flattening and holding thesheet ilat, and means for coating the sheet While thus held flat on theplate.

2. In a machine for coating Wafer-sheets, a vertically-reciprocatingsheet-plate, means for flattening and holding the sheet flat thereon,and means for coating the sheet While thus held llat on the plate.

3. In a machine Yfor coating Wafer-sheets, a movable sheet-plate, meansfor flattening the wafer-sheet on the plate, means for moving the plateto a coating mechanism, and said mechanism for coating the sheet.

^ 4. In a machine for coating Wafer-sheets, a movable sheet-plate, meansfor ilattening the wafer-sheet thereon, a stencil-plate, acoating-receptacle adapted to be moved over the stencil-plate,means formoving the sheet-plate beneath the stencil-plate, means forreciprocating it against the stencil-plate and for lowering the plateand moving it away from the stencil-plate.

5. In a machine for coating Wafer-sheets, a table, a plurality ofsheet-plates thereon,means for rotating the table a partial rotation andstopping, means for reciprocating the table at the stopping-points, anda coating mechanism adapted to operate to coat a sheet upon a sheetplateat one of the stopping-points.

6. In a machine for coating Wafer-sheets, a table,a plurality ofsheet-plates thereon, means for rotating the table successively partialrotations and stopping the same after each movement, means forreciprocating the table at the stopping-points, mechanism Jfor coatingthe sheet at one stopping-point, and a presserplate at anotherstopping-point for the purpose described.

7. In a machine for making Wafer-sheet sandwiches, a table, a pluralityof sheet-plates thereon, means for rotating the table successive partialrotations and stopping the same after each movement, means forreciprocating' the table at the stopping-points, mechanism for coating'the sheet at one stoppingpoint, a presser-plate at anotherstoppingpoint, said table Stopping at a point intermediate the coatingand pressing.

8. In a machine for coating' Wafer-sheets, the combination of a movablesheet-plate, the

plate O, means for moving said plate upon the Wafer on the sheet-plateto llatten the same, and means for clamping the edges of the Wafer-sheetwhile thus llattened.

9. The combination of the sheet-plate, the geared shafts along the edgesof the sheetplate, the arms Vp secured thereto, the clamping-flanges pon the ends of the arms, and means for rocking the shafts to cause theclamping-flanges to engage over and Withdraw from the edges of thesheet-plate, for the purpose described.

10. 'Ihe combination of a traveling and reciprocating sheet-plate, thepresser-plate O for flattening the sheet at the receiving-point, clampsfor the edges of the sheet, and means for applying the clamps upon thedownward reciprocation of the sheet-plate, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the reciprocating hopper, the stencil-framebeside the same, a series of Wires or bars stretched across the openingin the stencil-frame, a sheet-plate, means for moving the sheet-plate upto the under side of the stencil-'frame and for reciprocating the hopperover the frame.

12. The com bination-of the table, the sheetplates thereon, means formoving and reciprocating the plates, the presser-plate above the table,and means for adjusting the plate 'to and from the table.

13. In a Wafer-coating machine, the combination of a support 'for aWafersheet,means for tlattening and holding the sheet fiat thereon.

141. In aWafer-coating machine, mechanism for flattening a Wafer-sheetand holding it flat, and cooperating automatic mechanism for coating thesheet While thus held.

15. In a Wafer-coating machine, a stencil- IOO plate having a series ofcross-bars such as fine Wires extending across the stencil openly, and acoating-hopperadapted to reciprocate across the stencil-plate.

16. In a wafer-coating machine, a coating mechanism for applying a layerof plastic material to a Wafer on the Wafer-holder, a presser, and anintermittently-traveling Wafer-holder, said Wafer-holder stopping at thecoating' mechanism at the pressing-point and at a point intermediate thecoating and pressing points.

17. In a machine for making Wafer-sand- Wiches the combination of anintermittentlytraveling holder, mechanism for applying a layer or'plastic material to a wafer-sheet on the holder, and a pressingmechanism, the coating and pressing mechanism being supported, and thewafer-holder stopping at the coating and pressing means, and at a pointbetween the tivo.

18. In a machine for making Wafer-sandwiches, the combination of coatingmechanism adapted to apply a layer of plastic mate- IIO rial to aWafer-sheet on the sheet-plate, a ism and presser, and means for holdingawapresser, the sheet-plate, and means for movfer-sheet flat on theplate While being coated. .10 ing said plate successively to the coatingIn testimony whereofl I aflix my signature in mechanism and presser.presence of two Witnesses.

19. In a machine for making Wafer-sand- ALEXANDER W. COPLAND. Wiches,the combination of separate coating Witnesses: mechanism and presser, asheet-plate adapted H. C. SMITH, to move successively to the coatingmechanl JAS. P. BARRY.

